Gamers unite, hone skills at Tuesday tournaments

If you’ve got a competitive edge and think you have what it takes to challenge some of the best gamers in the Coastal Bend, head over to The Casual Gamer on Tuesday for Casual Fight Night.

“Casual Fight Night is a weekly thing we hold every Tuesday. We’re going to begin hosting them on Sundays as well. It’s basically a practice session,” said Mark Mathias, the venue’s owner.

For just $5 gamers are given the chance to play any game they want until closing time. They also have the opportunity to play on the store’s X-Box 360 consoles and monitors. Mathias said people also can bring in their own gaming equipment to use. A $2 entry fee is collected to participate in the tournament, which runs from 5 to 11 p.m.

Mathias said The Casual Gamer typically attracts players who are big on the fighting game scene. Some of those devoted players are known to play at the store until as late as midnight.

Since The Casual Gamer opened in February 2011, the venue has provided a unique place for gamers to play their favorite games and meet new people who share similar interests.

Some of the popular games locals like to play at the store include everything from “Dance Dance Revolution” and “Tron,” to the card game “Magic: The Gathering.” In addition to providing a place to have fun, the store also does console and computer repairs, hosts partiesand holds weekly tournaments for customers.

Obviously, gaming is taken seriously, which is why the venue’s computer equipment is on par with gear typically seen at major gaming tournaments.

“The monitors we use are certified, so it’s lag free,” Mathias said.

The venue’s weekly Casual Fight Nights not only give local gamers a place to convene with other gamers, it also gives the store the opportunity to raise money to support the skilled gamers who frequent the store.

Funds raised from the entry fees help send local gamers to larger tournaments outside Corpus Christi.

“We do have some really good players here. We’d like to be able to help them rent a van so they can go play people outside the city,” he said.

Mathias said he wants to help give those gamers a chance to realize their full potential.

“We have quite a few good people in (Corpus Christi). I’d like to see it to where we’re getting 40 to 50 people on a weekly basis and I’d like to be able to show other cities that we have just as big of a scene here as they do out in their areas,” he said.